The role of formal, non-formal and informal learning outcomes in the Recognition Act

The Professional and Vocational Qualifications Assessment Law (BQFG) also permits competences acquired by informal and non-formal means to be taken into account in checking the equivalence of a foreign professional or vocational qualification with a German professional or vocational qualification. As long as the prerequisites for a vocational qualification obtained abroad are met, assessment of equivalence takes place on the basis of documentary examination regardless of the route via which competences were gained. Under certain conditions, vocational competences may be assessed on an individual basis.

The BQFG provides for a recognition procedure that checks whether documentary evidence can demonstrate the equivalence of a foreign professional or vocational qualification with a current German professional or vocational qualification (the so-called "reference occupation"). This check takes place on the basis of stipulated criteria such as training content and duration. Possession of a foreign professional or vocational qualification certificate is required in order for an application to be made.

The certificate is, therefore, the most important document for the formal assessment process. This first stage of the procedure involves taking formal learning outcomes into account in assessing equivalence. The certificates presented by applicants demonstrating successful participation in the respective training course constitute a third-party assurance that the relevant qualification is held.

 

The BQFG as a comprehensive validation procedure

 

The central question is whether there are essential differences between the foreign professional or vocational qualification and the German reference occupation and, secondly, whether any such differences could possibly be compensated for by occupational experience or further evidence of competence. This applies in particular to deficits in respect of the practical elements of training, which play such an important role within the German dual system. It should be emphasised in this regard that the consideration of occupational experience constitutes one of the major USP's of the German recognition procedure.

This stage of the process, therefore, moves beyond formal training to take account of learning outcomes that have been acquired informally (occupational experience) or via non-formal means (participation in continuing training, additional training or other advanced and continuing training certificates). This step also involves the necessity of providing evidence of the learning outcomes achieved on the basis of documents in order to enable these to be used to compensate for significant differences.

Apart from such documentary examination, so-called "other suitable procedures" (cf. § 14 BQFG and § 50a Paragraph 4 of the Crafts and Trades Regulation Code, HWO), still facilitate the recognition of competences that cannot directly be evidenced as a result of the absence or lack of meaningfulness of paperwork or certificates from the applicants' home countries. The inability to submit the required documentation must not be the fault of the applicant.

 

This procedure is referred to below as a "skills analysis". This opportunity to establish equivalence represented the first time that specific measures for the assessment of competence below the level of final examinations had been stipulated in law. The main focus of this procedure is on the question of "whether the applicants are in sufficient possession of the necessary skills for proper exercising of the occupation or for carrying out essential tasks within the occupation".

 

Relevance of occupational experience in the recognition procedure

 

Many of those interested in obtaining recognition have both a professional or vocational qualification obtained in their home country and many years of occupational experience in Germany and abroad. However, can occupational experience be used to compensate for significant differences?

Within the scope of the monitoring of the Recognition Act, the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) conducted a survey of chamber of crafts and trades staff responsible for recognition. This shows that it was frequently possible to use recognition of occupational experience to compensate for significant differences. 79 percent of the chambers of crafts and trades which received applications during the period of the survey confirm the high degree of relevance of occupational experience for the recognition procedure.

If occupational competences, whether acquired by formal, non-formal or informal means, cannot be evidenced or cannot be evidenced in full by documents thus meaning that a check on the basis of documentation is not possible, the competent body may notify applicants for which essential activities of the reference occupation a skills analysis is required. The aim of skills analyses is to identify the knowledge, skills and competences of a person situatively and to assess whether this knowledge and these skills and competences essentially cover the training contents of the relevant German reference occupation for which evidence cannot be provided via documentation. Within this context, the skills analysis can be viewed as a competence assessment procedure.

No data is yet available that permits comprehensive statements to be made regarding acceptance of the assessment notices on the labour market. Within the scope of the BIBB project "Monitoring of the Recognition Act", a survey of companies and of persons interested in seeking recognition will be carried out in 2014. This will permit deeper analyses and statements regarding the extent to which the opportunities afforded by the Recognition Act have found their way into the recruitment strategies of companies and could inform such strategies in future.


Source: Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, bibb.de, revised by iMOVE, January 2015